Arsenal’s trip to Norwich today can be viewed as a mixed bag all round. With 4th placed tied up in the League and the trip to Wembley on the horizon, it was important to sustain momentum going into the final, and the lads pulled out a performance that will have done just that.
Team selection showed this, as it proved to be a fine line between resting players, whilst finding fitness and form for those who have been injured over the past few months. By resting Cazorla and the BFG, there were some interesting performances today that would merit a start at Wembley next weekend.
The Ratings
Lukas Fabianski - 8 - It will be fascinating to find out whether this was the warm up for the final for Fabianski, or whether Wenger was resting the big Pole for the special day. Either way he was impressive, making some big saves and coming off his line very well. It would be great to see him in Wembley for what could be his final game for the club.
Carl Jenkinson - 7 - Didn’t have much to do in the first half, as much of Arsenal’s play went down the left-hand side. His forward play was solid in the second half, getting up the pitch at every opportunity, and looking comfortable in doing so. Rewarded with his first ever goal for the club, with an instinctive close range finish.
Laurent Koscielny - 6 - Looked solid and comfortable throughout, with an impressive 98% pass accuracy. Not troubled to a large extent, but organised the back-line well.
Backary Sagna - 7 - Playing centre back, the the Frenchman looked more comfortable as the game progressed and Arsenals pressure increased. Produced some strong defensive moments with some vital blocks and interceptions. Can’t fault his commitment considering it’s unlikely he’ll play at The Emirates again.
Kieran Gibbs - 6 - Was strong going up the wing throughout the game, but also put in a solid defensive performance. Gave the ball away cheaply on one occasion, that would have been punished by a side with more attacking potency. A decent performance nonetheless.
Mikel Arteta - 6 - Played well as the anchor in Arsenals midfield. A performance that defined his year. Extremely stable without doing anything that would set the crown alight. Performing his defensive duties well, the Spaniard had a good game to match his season.
Arron Ramsey - 7 - Added some attacking dynamism going forward early on. Linking the play up really well, despite giving the ball away on a few occasions. Made up for it with a stunning volley to put The Gunners ahead. Once again ran his socks off and no doubt subbed off to preserve him for the final.
Lukas Podoloski - 7 - A very hard-working performance from the German, who grew in to the game with some clever movement inside. Linked up well with Giroud throughout the match, as-well as putting in an important defensive performance. Staking his case for the final, indeed.
Tomas Rosicky - 5 - Showed his good attacking instincts early on in the game with some direct forward runs. Despite this failed to make a huge impact on the game and was an average performance all round.
Mesut Ozil - 6 - It was a solid performance from Mesut, with an impressive 94% pass accuracy that arguably lacked penetration. Maybe still lacking fitness, he looked lackadaisical as he has done for small parts of the season. Despite the criticism he has a solid first season at the club, and a strong performance in the final would be deserved and enjoyed by all.
Olivier Giroud - 7 - Struggled to impose his presence initially but asserted himself in the game well with some good hold up play, winning 100% of his aerials. Some good movement led to Arsenals and Podolski’s best chance, as the pair linked up well in the first half. Maybe could have taken his chances better, but the superb ball for Ramsey’s goal shows why he is more than just a goal scorer.
Subs
Jack Wilshere - N/A - Nice to see Jack back on the pitch, and as always gave his all. There was an obvious sharpness missing and it will be interesting to see if he will start in the final next week.
About Diaby - N/A - It was a deserved heroes welcome for the Frenchman’s return to the first team. Let us all hope he can sustain his fitness throughout next season. With some decent forward runs, his final product lacked severely.
Yaya Sanogo - N/A - Can’t fault his determination and was looking more comfortable on the ball. Unlucky not to bag himself a goal. Let’s hope there is more to come next season.
Despite creating a few chances in the first half, for a lot of Arsenals pressure they struggled to unlock the Norwich defence. Part of this was down to two excellent saves from Ruddy, who kept Norwich in the game in the first half but there was nothing he could do about Ramsey’s pearler.
There were players playing for their place in the starting line-up at Wembley, and it will be interesting to see the team sheet next weekend. With the Premier League over for another year ultimately, fourth place is disappointing after leading for so much of the year. However, the improvement was there for all to see, and we can all hope for more next season.
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